I just returned from a pretty fabulous few days in New York. I always get a good shot of inspiration when I visit – but with springtime weather in February, it’s hard not to feel totally recharged.

Now, seriously Toronto…what’s with the snow?

Anyhow, I digress. As always, I was on the lookout for great design finds. I surprisingly didn’t find that much interior related stuff to talk about – aside from the stools shown below – but here’s a random sampling of things that caught my eye:

Seating by Sawkille

I spotted these really lovely stools by designer Jonah Meyer of Sawkille Co. at Matter. You’ve probably seen these types of stools in loads of country homes, but these pieces have just a little extra something to make them seriously special. I loved the tapered edges on the seat and the overall proportions.

Aside from Matter, I spotted some nice pieces at Ochre and Wyeth, but have not much else to report on the design side of things. Strange, I know. But there you have it.

High Line & Low Line

What did get me going, though, as always, was the High Line (abandoned train tracks converting into a park / walkway – for those that have never been). Honestly, I spent most of my time in the city just wandering. I walked and walked. My feet are still sore, but I couldn’t care less. The High Line is such a treat – not only is it beautifully designed, but it gives you a totally new perspective of the city. Amazing!

Now, there’s talk of developing the Low Line in the Lower East Side. Yup – an underground park in an abandoned trolley car station. I actually got an email on this very subject from GOOD just yesterday. Even if this project doesn’t go through (although I suspect and hope it will), this type of idea will get the rest of the world thinking in a total new way about public space – which is completely fantastic.

Aside from sore feet, my only other casualty while away was super dry skin. Guess it was a mix of pollution, dry weather, hours spent outside…my hands felt like leather. Thankfully I found Aesop in Nolita. Great packaging, sleek modern store design, and the most insanely lovely hand cream I’ve tried in years. Wish I hadn’t brought carry-on only, because I would have loaded up on product.

Otherwise, my last take-away from this trip was the one I’m most excited about. While walking through Tribeca I spotted this totally eye-catching store called Adeline Adeline. Of course I peeked in the window as soon as I spotted a beautifully designed space filled with amazing looking bikes. The store was, sadly, closed. But I happened to chat with a woman on the street who was riding one of their bikes and decided that on my next visit, I will need to stop by.

I want to get a bike where I can take my kids with me. I don’t like the idea of having them on the back or front of my seat, those carriages that drag behind sort of freak me out, but when I saw this woman in SoHo riding along with her son in the front, I knew I’d found my next ride! The price is steep, but think about all the cab and parking fares that you’ll save.

So there you have it. Back to work, back to reality. But it’s all good. I missed my kids like crazy and am happy to be home! Now I just need to clear the fog from my head and get back into things…